THE former Arsenal hero will go straight into the Red Devils’ squad for Monday night’s opening Premier League clash at Everton, providing he beats today’s 12 noon registration deadline.

MANCHESTER UNITED boss Sir Alex Ferguson will party like it’s 1999 when Robin van Persie bolsters his attacking options at Old Trafford.

The former Arsenal hero will go straight into the Red Devils’ squad for Monday night’s opening Premier League clash at Everton, providing he beats today’s 12 noon registration deadline.

Also wanted by Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini, the Holland international will further strengthen Ferguson’s strikeforce as he bids to wrest the championship from United’s bitter rivals.

Quite apart from the potentially mouthwatering partnership of van Persie and Wayne Rooney, who scored 72 goals in all competitions between them last term, Ferguson also has Danny Welbeck and Javier Hernandez in his squad.

And the four-man strikeforce reminds the veteran manager so much of that 1998-99 season when Andy Cole and Dwight Yorke scored the bulk of the goals, but Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer were the men who found the net in that sensational Champions League comeback against Bayern Munich.

Ferguson, who was speaking at the launch of a new partnership between United and online gaming group bwin, said: “In 1999 I had Dwight Yorke, Andy Cole, Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, the four best strikers in Europe. We are going towards that now.”

In addition, Ferguson also has another new boy Shinji Kagawa, who can play in an advanced role, as can Ashley Young who enjoyed such success in that position for England.

The beaming boss said: “It is a fantastic collection of players and hopefully I pick the right combinations.”

Despite his wealth of attacking choices van Persie is the man everyone is talking about.

PFA and FWA Player of the Year last term thanks to an astonishing 37-goal haul, at 29 he represents Ferguson’s most high-profile purchase since the arrival of Dimitar Berbatov in 2008.

After a three-year period when so many big-name stars have been attracted by the lure of life at City, it is a statement of intent by the 19-times champions.

Even though van Persie’s contract is still to be penned, Ferguson could not disguise his delight.

He said: “He has not signed yet. We hope everything gets tied up as we want and I am sure he will be available on Monday.

“It is great to have a player of Robin van Persie’s qualities to come into the squad. I am very pleased.”

Even one of the players whose place is threatened expressed his delight, with Welbeck predicting “goals galore” with van Persie on board.

He said: “We’ve got great depth in the striker region now. Once we’re on the pitch it’s hopefully goals galore.

“Van Persie is a great addition to the squad. He’s world-class and I’m sure all of the team are looking forward to playing with him.

“I’m sure there were plenty of other teams after him as well as City. But the main thing is we’ve got him.

“He’s got the ability to change games, get goals and these are the type of players who can win you titles.

“I think once the season gets under way, the manager will be good with squad rotation.

“He’s got a good variety of strikers to use in different games, with there being European games as well as Premier League.

“With the strikers we’ve got at the club it’s a good problem for the manager to have.”